Speeches
Tuesday, 23 July 2024
Andy Thomas Space Foundation Networking Dinner
I am pleased to join you this evening for the Andy Thomas Foundation Networking Dinner, as part of the 17th Australian Space Forum.
I especially welcome our international guests who have travelled from around the world for this conference. Whichever way we look at it, space is quintessentially international and the sharing of perspectives and knowledge is vital.
Australia has rocketed into the global space economy in recent years and South Australia is at the forefront of these endeavours.
A state with vision and a long history of innovation, we are a natural fit as Australia’s Space State.
We are home to the Australia Space Agency, Australian Mission Control Centre and Australian Space Discovery Centre, along with more than 100 space-related organisations.
The space sector capabilities being developed in South Australia span the entire spectrum, including launch, satellite manufacturing, mission control, space tracking and geospatial analysis.
It is my privilege to engage with many of these organisations and to see first-hand their leading work in research and development.
South Australia is developing world-leading expertise in Earth Observation, critical to our efforts to monitoring and addressing climate change.
We are home to the Research Centre for Excellence in Plants for Space, leading the way in space-inspired plant and food research and, at the University of Adelaide, home to the Extraterrestrial Environmental Simulation Laboratory, the first of its kind in Australia.
We are also the first Australia state to develop its own locally built and owned satellite, Kanyini, which awaits launch.
It’s an exciting time to be for young people to be growing up in the Space State, seeing Katherine Bennell-Pegg qualify as an astronaut, visiting the Space Discovery Centre, wearing a NASA uniform and taking samples from the surface of Mars in a specially constructed classroom, building a satellite.
It's a pretty exciting time to be a Governor – or her physicst husband – interested in space, tasting duckweed, meeting teenage satellite designers, celebrating satellite launches, visiting the River Murray International Dark Sky Reserve, meeting Japanese satellite partners, hosting international visitors, being with you tonight.
South Australia welcomes partnerships with other space leaders around the world and it’s wonderful to have so many sector leaders here in Adelaide for the conference and at this dinner.
I thank the Andy Thomas Space Foundation for hosting the Australian Space Forum, with support from the South Australian Government and Australian Space Agency, and for enabling attendees to hear from engaging speakers and discuss the future of space development in a convivial environment.
I thank the foundation for its work within our community, advancing space education and contributing to the growth and capability of the national space sector.
It has been a great pleasure to witness the foundation’s work in action with students, inspiring them to dream big about careers in STEM, and in particular, the space industry.
Thank you to this evening’s guest speakers, as well as all conference speakers, exhibitors and sponsors.
I wish you all a productive and enjoyable conference and I trust this forum will strengthen existing relationships and propel forward new collaborations and developments.